Voice Your Choice

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Voice Your Choice is a project that invites students to create their own Inductee class. Who would they choose to induct into their own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and why?

The goal is to teach students to develop the ability to make aesthetic judgments, to understand the aesthetic standards of others, and to learn to present a persuasive case about their choices. These goals are key to content standards around the country—in the arts and across the curriculum.

Voice Your Choice gives both teachers and students the tools to effectively evaluate the definition of “musical excellence” while creating an interactive forum in which they can further explore and explain their own aesthetic value system.

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It’s not as easy as you may think. Aesthetic judgment is a difficult concept to both teach and understand. Yet, it is critical to developing both our own self-awareness, as well as an informed and invested understanding of our world—in the arts and beyond.

State content standards across the country reflect the need to allow students to develop their aesthetic judgment skills. Students need to be able to both analyze and evaluate music. They also need to be able to build the vocabulary and communication skills needed to effectively articulate their thoughts.

The PDF file below will help you get this discussion started. Click the link to download.

Models & Resources

In order to provide you and your students with models of how to talk about musical excellence, we have created sample projects around three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees from a range of time periods representing different styles of music: Chuck Berry (inducted 1986); Black Sabbath (inducted 2006), and Run-DMC (inducted 2009).

Chuck Berry: Inducted 1986

Kathryn: "While most people recognize Chuck Berry as a rock and roll pioneer, I focus on how his impact on the growth and perpetuation of rock and roll lies in his skills as a gifted lyricist, unparalleled guitarist and innovator."

Black Sabbath: Inducted 2006

Jason: “In my video presentation I wanted to think about Black Sabbath’s legacy as one of the first heavy metal bands and examine some of the innovations they made in musical sound, lyric writing, and visual image, and how they inspired generations of fans and musicians.”

Run-D.M.C.: Inducted 2009

In this video, rock hall educator John Goehrke discusses the impact, influence, and innovation of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Run-D.M.C.

John: "Although commercial success can be relevant when evaluating an artist's impact, it does not necessarily equate musical excellence. For that reason, I focused my oral presentation around other factors, identifying Run-D.M.C. as innovators, barrier breakers, and trendsetters."

Get Started

Ready to use Voice Your Choice in your classroom? Check out some of the resources that we have compiled to give you ideas for projects in the PDF below. Have any questions? Swing us a line at [email protected].